Yoga class in middle of day---ok to do errands in yoga wear?

Debbie

I go to Yoga once/twice a week and it is in the middle of the day. My question is, can I go to the grocery store and Costco wearing what I will wear to yoga? Black pants and a yoga top and a fitted jacket over it with sneakers?

Or is this a big no no and I need to change clothes?

I live in a smallish pacific northwest town.

Thanks for your opinion!

17 years ago

Dressing

18 replies

Latest reply was from Basia

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Absolutely not.

17 years ago

shiny

Veteran

Uh oh.

As I mentioned, I have a deal with myself that I cannot get dressed until I've exercised. I have this routine where a few times a week, it just makes sense to pop in the grocery store early in the AM before my walk. Or sometimes I run to the grocery store, if I only need a few things, and walk fast back - and call it my exercise for the day. I would not do that in nice clothes because I sweat way too much and I like clothes that allow movement. Plus, I need real sneakers to run.

Some yoga outfits are adorable. LuLuLemon makes really nice stuff, for example. Surely better than my running gear....

.... and if the errands are very convenient to the yoga studio, I say ... why not... esp if it saves gas and it allows you to keep that calming yoga zen longer....

17 years ago

Maya

Veteran

I'm afraid I must agree with Shiny. Sometimes, albeit rarely, style and convenience don't go together. In those situations, I choose convenience. As long as I don't look like a total slob or horrifically bad, I don't mind making a run to the store or post office in an outfit that isn't so glamorous if it's on the way to (or from) yoga. I'm certainly not going to take a duffel bag with me and change in the bathroom just to get a quart of milk.

17 years ago

Nicole

Veteran

I, too will pop into a convenience store for a gallon of milk, or into the post office to mail a package, in my gear. If I were going to be going out for a day of errands/shopping--I would go home, shower, change and then head back out.

17 years ago

Anonymous

Shiny, I LOVE lululemon's stuff! It's amazing. I'm guilty of wearing my lululemons to the grocery store after yoga. I don't do it often, but sometimes it really doesn't make sense to go to yoga, go home, shower, change, and then go run that quick errand.

17 years ago

Alecia

Veteran

I'm with Shiny, Maya, Nicole, & Lissy. Sometimes it just can't be avoided. I take the bus to work and to workout after work. I'm pretty sure that riding the bus in my workout clothes would get a thumbs down too BUT I don't have the ability between workout and bus to shower and change clothes.

Other times, it's about weighing the importance of looking great for the errand vs. saving gas. I try to lump my driving needs together as much as possible so I can reduce the gas I use.

Which leads me to another question (probably for another post), the gas consideration also means I try to ride my bike as much a possible. I'd love to hear thoughts on whether it's possible to be smart casual on two wheels (and temperatures in the 90s).

17 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sorry ladies. I'm hard to budge on this one. Where does it end? Before you know it, you’re running errands in your gear ALL day.

If you need to get milk or bread BEFORE a workout – okay. I’m not unreasonable. But it’s easy to fall back into this mode of dressing and it becomes a bad habit fast. Prevention is better than cure!

17 years ago

Ana

(website)

Veteran

I know I sometimes do this too, because I walk to the grocery store (it's just down the street--I can't see the point of driving to pick up one or two things). It's usually on a day I've been cleaning the house or something, and it's hot outside, so I pull on my faded jeans and a t-shirt (horrors). Invariably, I'll run into someone that I wish hadn't seen me in my gear, so I've been trying to be better about this lately (hence getting the Converse sneakers in lieu of trainers or flip flops, etc). It's hard though, I hear ya.

17 years ago

shiny

Veteran

I do think if you are exercising and saving gas, you get a free pass on the fashion issue. But yet, I do see Angie's point on this as well....

True confessions: I'm still in my workout gear and have yet to even take a shower today!!!! I've had a very long stressful day and really REALLY can't wait for school to start on Thursday! Right now, I'm on a boring conference call doing the equivalent of "virtual" facetime. This seems to be the day that will never end.

And yes, I did go out three times today - looking completely horrific - all three times to shuttle kids back and forth. I never got out of the car though.

Yesterday we went to the beach and afterwards to dinner. Brought a change of clothes. I forgot a cardi. The restaurant was freezing cold. I asked my hubby to run out to the car and see if we had any sweatshirts - anything! He came back with a grubby old Disney sweatshirt - one of my kids'. I wore it through dinner and when we were leaving, my DD's remarked, "It's really weird to see you in a sweatshirt. You usually look so much nicer, mom!"

Alecia - you should start a separate thread. My DH bike-commutes and it's really, really hard on his clothes. He gets grease all over. He can wear bike gear and then change at work, but it's a pain.

17 years ago

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Yoga/workout wear is a slippery slope to tread ... there's a woman I know, about my age (early 40s), who is absolutely gorgeous. She's a former Ford model. Tall, natural blonde, long limbs, fit. All she ever wears is yoga gear! Seriously, I have never seen her in anything that is not a knit. For the life of me I can't understand it.

You should have seen the first day of kindergarten drop-off today. 70% of the moms were in workout gear - nice, high-end workout gear, but still.

17 years ago

Julia

Active Member

Hmm, I'm going to my first yoga class tomorrow morning (what a great time this question was asked!) and I pondered on what to wear for several days already. There is a grocery store next to the studio so I might need to go there after the class. The class starts early and I won't be able to shop before the class because of my daughter's bus schedule.

So, is there any solutions? I thought of wearing a casual short dress over the leggings that I'm going to wear in the class, is that acceptable?

17 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

100% Julia. You have your thinking cap on.

17 years ago

Debbie

Active Member

To complicate matters, my yoga class goes to lunch together after class at a cafe near the studio.

I guess I need to change into street clothes before I go to the lunch.

17 years ago

Maya

Veteran

I'd do that just as a matter of principle. I wouldn't want to go out to lunch in my stinky sweaty yoga gear (maybe the kind I do is more intense). yuck.

17 years ago

Debbie

Active Member

Oh---good point Maya! My yoga class is pretty gentle so no sweaty clothes----

I will change clothes anyway. I will feel better in street clothes.

17 years ago

marianne

Active Member

Not that I advocate it, but I do sometimes stop by the grocery store after yoga. It's right on my way home and it doesn't make sense to make a separate trip. I also wouldn't want to change into normal clothes before taking a shower.

Laura, I think it's very common to head straight to the gym after drop off, hence the workout gear. I hope they are dressed better at pick up time

17 years ago

Basia

Active Member

Girls,
as anybody I am having a sloppy morning or these great idea of for once just let it go when I go out...what always works out and forces me to the effort is to imagine that on your way to get your milk in the morning, just accidentally, you meet a long long not seen colleague from high school/university/last work place that used to look at you and pick up on anything going around herself all so perfect. Would you really want to receive that look again?? You know, Murphy's law at its best..

17 years ago

Basia

Active Member

By the way, motivation works also when you imagine meeting your ex-husband who left for other woman, picky mother in law.....in one word: your worst enemy!

17 years ago

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